There are many types of electronic cards and smart cards in use today, including Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards, memory cards, cable and satellite television decoder cards, identification cards and authentication cards, and others. These cards typically must be inserted into a connector or receiver component of the corresponding electronic device.
In the case of SIM cards, there is specific design criteria that must be met pertaining to aspects such as insertion and extraction forces. One such set of standards is specified by NDS Limited (now owned by Cisco) for smart cards to be used with smart card readers. The card connectors, for example, must have an “extraction force” for a standard SIM card that is in the range of 300 to 700 grams. The card connector must be able to repeatedly provide the specified extraction force without failing or damaging the SIM card.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a smart or electronic card connector that can meet the NDS requirements reliably, repeatedly and without damaging the SIM card, as well as maintaining the insertion and extraction forces specified in the NDS limits.